Immigration Dept’s ‘Black Maria’ Driver Pleads Not Guilty to 5 Charges Over Crash That Killed Family of 3

Four pedestrians were hit in a road accident in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (19 August) after an Immigration Department (JIM) lorry reportedly ran a red light and crashed into them.

We previously reported that the accident claimed the lives of three family members, including a 12-year-old girl, who all died at the scene, while their 55-year-old mother, Nor Hayati Rozali, survived with severe injuries.

Black Maria truck driver pleads not guilty to all charges

In a recent development, BERNAMA reported that the 43-year-old driver of JIM’s Black Maria truck, Mohd Akbar Zainol, was charged at the Magistrate’s Court today (20 August) with five offences over the fatal accident along Jalan Sultan Ismail.

He pleaded not guilty to all five charges before Magistrate Aliaa Anwar.

The first three charges relate to the deaths of the three family members:

• Shaik Mohd Firdaus Shaikh Yahya, 53
• Siti Norshazlin, 24
• Siti Darwisyah Auni, 12

Mohd Akbar was accused of driving the Isuzu Black Maria truck dangerously, resulting in the deaths of the three victims.

The charges were brought under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987. If convicted, he could face between five and 10 years in prison, a fine of between RM20,000 and RM50,000, and disqualification from holding or obtaining a driving licence for at least five years.

He was also charged with causing injuries to the deceased’s wife

For the fourth charge, Mohd Akbar was accused of driving without due care and attention, causing severe injuries to Nor Hayati. He was charged under Section 43(1) of the same Act, which carries a fine of between RM5,000 and RM10,000, as well as a possible jail term of up to 12 months upon conviction.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Syajaratudur Abd Rahman proposed bail of RM15,000 for each charge with one surety. She also requested additional conditions requiring Mohd Akbar to report to a police station every month and surrender his passport to the court until the case is concluded.

Stay tuned to WORLD OF BUZZ for more updates!

Also read: “Action will be taken” – Immigration Dept to Conduct Internal Probe After Official Vehicle Crashes Into Family, Killing 3